Eureka weekly sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1887-1902, 1887-12-31
CORRESPONDENCE.
What Is Being Done in Ventura
County, California,

oANIa IAoLA, Cal., Dec. Il, 1857.
Ed. SENTINEL: Two or three years ago
Ventura county was q part of California
little known to the outside world, as
compared with Los Angeles, San Diego
and other booming counties. Since the
Southern Pacific Company extended their
road from Newhall to Santa Barbara,
which was completed last Summer, a
great change has taken place; real estate
has increased in value; buyers of fruits
have shown more activity; immigration
has been greatly stimulated, and the
county is settling up with a very desir.
able class of immigrants who come to
stay. For mammoth pumpkins and
FAT GIRLS
This portion OF the Golden State takes
the lead, and why not? The climate is
about the best in the State, and the
county is the best watered of any, barr.
ing a few of the central and northern
counties. Yet, as a rule, no irrigation is
done on nine.tenths Of the land under
cultivation; the fogs which spread over
the valleys at intervals during the Sum.
mer supplying the necessary moisture to
mature the crops. 1t is nothing unusual
to find a squash weighing from $50 to 800
pounds, ~cabbages of so pounds, beets Of
100 pounds, and other fruits and vepe.
tables in the same proportion. Even the
girls, though not for a moment to be
compared with the rank growth of vege.
tation, thrive immensely on the climate
and grow wondrous fat. One daisy of q
creature passes our window every morn.
ing on her way to school, which, on the
impulse Of the moment, one might ven.
ture to assert weighed half a ton. She
don't, though, 22O pounds is her weight;
but she is certainly given to ~embonpoint
for a l3-year old girl. This a~llusion to
our fat girl leads us to remark the pre-.
ponderance of girls over boys in all part.
of the south. The
WOODS r FULL
OF them. They pillow and SOW, reap and
NOV, and do all kinds of manual labor
on the farm-contrary to the generally
accepted ideas held by non.residents that
California girls are prone to affect music,
and spend their days entertaining the
festive young man, by humping way
on the piano a pot-pourri of simple airs,
which she calls Shubert's serenade. No
such affectation for the average California
girl, and they have been grossly misrep.
resented. Vi course there are exceptions
to the rule. One rural damsel that we
wot of drives her pas hay team to town,
and does a mans work entirely. Strong,
active, but uncultivated; the youngest of
seven manageable daughters in one fam.
lily, she talks vulgar to the cows, slang
to her "ma," swears like julius Cesar
not that we have historical authority that
Cesar ever swore, but he is handy to
have around as a comparison-and thinks
she will sometime be a farmers wife.
At the close of the Mexican war there
was found to be seventeen bona fds
M GRANTS
In existence in California. Now the
southern country abounds with them.
There are, perhaps, over 500; mostly
fraudulent, of course, but nevertheless
they deter immigrants in a great measure
from settling, for fear that at some future
time they may be ousted from their DOS.
sessions; while those who are settled on
such places improve but slowly, conse.
quently we find many farms lily cared
for, with rather an indolent sort of farm.
ing. Another circumstance which stag.
gers the new conner is the fact that land
with a good title is held at too high a
figure to purchase and realize any profit
from. We know of one party who pur.
chased several hundred acres at the nom.
inal price Of 81 an acre four years ago. |
and now seeks to sell at from 5000 to |
$1,000 an acre. This is decidedly too |
much for unimproved land, or in fact for |
any agricultural land. For cultivation
the land is not worth the money, except
in very rare and exceptional cases, as in
well-set walnut, almond or orange groves.
Still, sales are made at the prices quoted, |
and those who cannot or will not buy at
the prices asked, are casting about for
what little government land there is scat.
tered about, and it is being rapidly taken
up all ever this and adjoining counties.
With the influx of Eastern people the
sentiment grows apace, and
it has been resolved that the
SALOON MUST GO.
1t has been talked over, debated on, and
wrangled over in nearly every town and
village from San Diego to Santa Barbara,
and to a fellow up a tree. it looks as if
our old friend, John Barleycorn. was in
a very critical position. 1t is the slogan
that the saloon should and must 20, and
the crusaders may carry their point.
What would the average topper across the
lofty Sierras think were he taxed q large
silver dollar for his matutinal appetizer. |
or the saloon taxed 81, 900 a month to
dispense bug juice of any quality! Yet
that is the case in n town, and others